Someone Still Cares About You, Kid
by Stardust Imaginings
Summary: The Lorax decides to come back and realizes just how fragile the human spirit can be. Takes place roughly six months after the Once-ler's Thneed business goes south. No slash. This is strictly a friendship fic. Rated T for adult themes and lots of angst!


**A/N: Salutations, dear readers! I gotta admit, I am in love with this story! (What are ya talkin' about?! You wrote it, stupid!) So yeah, I am very proud with how this turned out. :) I just love writing hurt/comfort, mixing in a little angst and then sprinkling it with friendship, just to give it a little extra sweetness. ;) Fair warning here, this fic is DARK and may result in upset feelings, blushing cheeks, and shortness of breath. You have been warned. :)**

**Oh, and I do not own "The Lorax". If I did, the Once-ler would have gotten married to a beautiful, sweet, caring girl and they would live happily together in the Truffula Forest in his little cottage with the Lorax and all his animal friends! :) (Hey, I can dream, can't I?) **

**Anyway, grab a box of tissues and get ready for a rollercoaster of feels! **

**Enjoy!**

"**Someone Still Cares About You, Kid"**

It had been six months since he left. The Lorax tried not to think about the destroyed Truffula Forest, after all, he was the Lorax, Guardian of the Forest, and there were other forests, other places in the world that were his responsibility to protect. But the harder he tried to forget, the same clear image of that eager, lanky kid with that carefree smile on his face would flash in front of his eyes.

Poor Beanpole.

He could never forget the look on his face when he lifted himself up by the seat of his pants and left. The Once-ler had watched him leave without a word, the guilt and regret now clear in those young eyes.

The Lorax shook his head, and made up his mind, a determined look on his mustached face. That was it. No more waiting. He had to see him. Just to make sure the kid was okay.

It had been six long months since the Once-ler's Thneed business had gone bankrupt. The factories had been closed, the employees were laid off, the Thneeds stopped coming, and everyone had left.

Only the Once-ler had stayed, refusing to leave the place he had carelessly destroyed. His own guilty conscious preventing him from moving on.

The Lorax knew the Once-ler would still be there. He had seen the kid build the small, lopsided cottage he would later call his Lerkim. He had seen him board up the window on the top floor, too ashamed to look upon the desolation he had created that now surrounded his small home. He never left the house.

The Lorax couldn't help feeling sad as he gazed upon the wasteland that used to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. The gray, dead stumps of the trees stretched on in every direction, the once, soft green grass was now overgrown with weeds of coarse, prickly grickle grass. The streams and rivers, now filled with sludge and schlopp, gave off a foul putrid odor. The sky was smoggy and gray. Thick clouds of pollution sucked away the clean air, covering the once crystal blue sky.

The Lorax ignored it, knowing there was nothing to be done now, and slowly made his way up the beaten road toward the Once-ler's Lerkim. He passed a sign post with a lamp hanging at the top that read, "The Street of the Lifted Lorax". The guardian felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips when he saw the sign. He knew Beanpole had put it there. To remind others of the guardian's sage words of advice he had so stubbornly ignored.

He trudged up to the house, feeling a little apprehensive at the unwelcoming sight. The front porch was dark and the door was shut. A sign on the door, written in gold letters read, "The Once-ler". The Lorax heaved a heavy sigh and was just about to step up onto the porch when the sound of the lock on the door turning made him jump. He ran behind a bush by the side of the house, not wanting to be seen, when a young, blonde-haired woman pulled open the door and stepped out onto the porch, an exasperated frown on her attractive face. She was dressed in a blue, strapless cocktail dress, her blonde hair hanging down over her bare shoulders. She pulled a compact out of her purse and was reapplying a lipstick that looked much to red to be natural for the furry little guardian. She seemed upset about something, what that something was, the Lorax could only guess.

Before the Lorax could wonder what this woman was doing in Beanpole's house, the sound of a car speeding down the road reached his ears. He watched as an expensive-looking black convertible pulled up to the house, stopping a few feet away from the Lorax's hiding place.

The lady snapped her compact shut, stuffed it in her purse and quickly walked down to the car, a scowl on her face.

The Lorax watched her pass by him, his presence unnoticed by the woman.

"What's goin' on, baby? You were only there for half an hour." The man in the car asked, his Southern-accented voice reaching the Lorax's sensitive ears.

"You said it would make him _happy_!" the girl shouted as she got into the car, slamming the door shut behind her before readjusting her hair fussily.

"Was there a problem?" the man asked, sounding confused at her irritated mood.

"Oh no, no problem. I get there, we have fun for a few minutes and then all of a sudden, he gets all moody and just wants to talk! Then he pays me $200, says he's sorry, and then tells me to leave!" the girl explained, her tone sarcastic and angry as the car gradually started to pull away from the house as it turned, heading back to the road.

"So, you're telling me you didn't do anything at all?"

"Well, I got his clothes off but aside from that...that's the last time I ever do Lou a favor!" the girl's voice faded as the car drove away.

The Lorax stared as the car quickly disappeared down the road, feeling more confused and concerned than before. He glanced back at the house, a new sense of worry suddenly washing over him.

He hopped back onto the porch, noting the handle was well out of his reach. He sighed, wondering why humans felt the need to place door handles so high above the ground when he noticed the door had been left ajar. He pushed on the smooth wood, opening it enough to slip inside, being careful to shut it quietly, not quite ready to announce his presence just yet.

He looked around the dark foyer spotting a staircase to his left. Straight ahead was the kitchen. A light had been left on, but the room was empty. The Lorax looked up the long, curved staircase. It was dark up there too but as he stood there in the hall, the sound of someone crying reached his ears.

It was coming from Beanpole's room. The Lorax climbed up the steps, being sure to use the rungs on the bottom of the handrail to keep himself from falling back as the staircase was much too steep for his short legs. Upon reaching the top, the sounds of his friend's heart-wrenching sobs could easily be heard coming from behind the closed door.

The Lorax hesitated for only a second before reaching for the handle. He had to stand on his toes, stretching his arm as far as he could before his fingers brushed the tip of the long handle. He hopped up, catching the handle and pulling it down, a soft click sounded as he slowly pushed the door open.

He felt his heart sink, his concern growing when he spotted the lanky, young man laying on his overly large bed, his head in his arms, crying brokenly into his pillow. He was completely naked, his clothes lying in a heap in a corner by the bed. The Lorax was only a little surprised by this, realizing now that the beautiful woman who had left in a huff had obviously been some sort of prostitute.

The Lorax stood there, his face sad as he took in the Once-ler's appearance. He looked much skinnier than he remembered. The small arch of his back was even more pronounced than before and his skin had lost its sun-kissed tan he remembered the eager youth procuring from the many long hours of working outside his tent when he had first arrived. He stared at him, wondering when the last time the kid had eaten. He looked half-starved.

He walked over to the bed, feeling somehow like he was intruding. It was obvious the Once-ler wanted to be left alone right now but he wasn't about to just turn around and walk out the door. The situation was much more serious than he thought.

Sobs wracked the Once-ler's skinny body, his shoulders shaking as he cried. He hadn't yet noticed the Lorax was there. The furry guardian wasn't sure how he should proceed from here. He felt that he should try talking to him but seeing how his human friend was less than decent, and that Beanpole would more than likely be embarrassed and probably freak out once he realized he was there, the Lorax hopped up on the end of the bed and grabbed the sheets, pulling them over and draping them softly over the crying boy's waist.

"…sob...just…hic…go away, _please_." The Once-ler sobbed, not looking up from his pillow when he felt the soft sheets being pulled over him.

"Hey, kid. Come on now, stop crying." The Lorax replied softly, resting a furry hand on his shoulder.

The Once-ler's sobs abruptly ceased, his whole body going rigid at the unexpected voice. He slowly looked up, a disbelieving look on his tear-stained face. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked very tired. The Lorax could tell he hadn't gotten a good night's rest in days.

"…Mustache?" the Once-ler choked, his breathe hitching in his throat.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, wondering if he was dreaming.

The Lorax frowned, crossing his arms over his chest the same way he had done back when he had first confronted the kid about cutting down that Truffula Tree. It seemed like that was a hundred years ago.

"After all this time, ya still call me, "Mustache"? What would ya call me if I decided to shave this off?" the Lorax joked, pointing up at his bushy, yellow mustache.

The Once-ler sniffed, his breathe hitching in his throat again, completely at a loss for words as he stared in disbelief at the one person he had been certain he would never see again. There was a deep sadness in his eyes that was obvious to the ancient guardian. He could see the guilt and regret etched into his features, as if he had spent countless sleepless nights hating himself for what he had done and wishing he could take it all back. The Lorax knew that was exactly what happened even though he hadn't seen it. Those haunted blue eyes told him more than anything he could have said.

"I, uh, just wanted to check up on ya. See how you were doing." the Lorax continued a little hesitantly, deciding that a teasing joke probably wasn't the best way to greet a friend he had abandoned six months ago.

The Once-ler didn't answer, a pained look on his face as he stared at him, still trying to believe what he was seeing was real. And then, in a sudden move that shocked the little Lorax, the Once-ler sat up and pulled him into a tight hug.

The Lorax stiffened in surprise but slowly returned the hug when he felt the taller boy sobbing, his face pressed tightly against his back. The poor kid was shaking so badly, the Lorax was sure he'd fall to pieces right there if he let go. He patted him gently on the back, waiting patiently for him to compose himself.

"I didn't think you'd come back." the Once-ler sobbed, his chest constricting as he breathed in sharply as more sobs wracked his thin body.

The Lorax continued patting him, rubbing his tiny hand along his back, hoping what he said next wouldn't upset the poor kid even more, "Well, I wasn't _supposed to_, but to be honest, I was worried about ya, kid. I needed to see if you were alright. After what happened…"

"I'm sorry! I am SO sorry! I never meant for any of this to happen." the Once-ler cried as he clutched onto his tiny form desperately, fresh tears streaking down his cheeks, another loud sob causing his breath to hitch spastically as he spoke.

"Easy, kid. It's alright. Stop kicking yourself. I know you meant well. Ya just got…carried away." the Lorax answered, burying a twinge of resentment that resurfaced over the mentioning of the still ruined forest he had worked so hard to protect.

He knew Beanpole never meant to destroy it. It had been six months since then and he was _still_ punishing himself for it. He didn't deserve to wallow in this anguish day after day like this.

"I'm sorry…sob…I was an idiot. A stupid, _stupid_ idiot! I should have listened to you." the Once-ler admitted brokenly, his pride completely gone now as he sat there on his bed, holding the only friend he had against him, wishing he had said those words earlier.

"It's okay. I forgive ya, Beanpole. Don't worry, I'm not goin' anywhere." the Lorax replied, trying to sound encouraging to put the kid's mind at ease that he wouldn't disappear in a puff of smoke when he finally let him go.

"I c-can't…hic…s-sleep. I c-can't eat…sob…all I keep…thinking about is…hic, sob…how bad I messed up…sniff…I…sob…I don't know what to do anymore…sob…" The Once-ler's shoulders shook, still unable to fully control himself, but the Lorax's gentle hand rubbing soothingly against his back was slowly starting to calm him down, reassuring him he wasn't just imagining all this.

He hiccupped, reluctantly allowing the Lorax to pull himself away from his embrace, his head bowed in shame, silent tears streaking down his cheeks, the sheets bunched up in his clenched fists, sniffling quietly as he sat there trying in vain to control his breathing.

The Lorax didn't say anything for a long while, allowing the kid to get all the anxiety and guilt out of his system that he had kept bottled up inside for far too long. He kept a furry hand on his arm in a comforting manner, knowing the young man was still much too upset to speak now and for the first time since he left, the Lorax finally began to understand just how devastated the young businessman had been when he realized what he had done. Beanpole was acting as if it had all happened yesterday. But it had been _six_ _months_.

Six months of _what_? Of sitting alone, holed up inside this dark house, day after day?

Of gazing through the slits in the boarded window, his chest tightening painfully each time he saw that barren, ugly wasteland staring straight back at him, reminding him of what he did?

The Lorax should have known how long a human could persist in punishing themselves when there was nothing and no one around to help pull them out of it.

He should have known the Once-ler was different. He wasn't like those other business tycoons, too self-absorbed and egotistical to really care about one destroyed forest. Any other man would have shrugged his shoulders and turned his back, another money-making scheme already hatching in their greedy mind as they left to start over somewhere else.

But not Beanpole. He hadn't left. He hadn't forgotten what his greed and pride had cost him. There was too much goodness in him and not enough bad. He really wasn't bad. Just foolish and stubborn.

But not bad.

Deciding he should do something to comfort the still crying boy, the furry guardian gingerly brushed away the salty tears wetting his flushed face, feeling the Once-ler's body trembling beneath his hand, another loud sob from above reaching his ears.

"Quit beating yourself up over this, Beanpole. No one can change the past, not even me. All we can do is push forward and learn from our mistakes so we don't let the same thing happen again."

The Once-ler nodded silently, quietly sniffling, his eyes watery and red, the wracking sobs gradually slowing before finally ceasing all together. He sniffed again, rubbing a hand across his face, the beginnings of a faint, but bitter smile, slowly appearing on his worn-out features.

"Live and learn. That's what you're saying, isn't it?" the Once-ler rasped, his voice hoarse from crying.

The Lorax nodded, "Exactly."

"I'm gonna make things right again…I don't want to live like this anymore." Beanpole murmured softly, his words a little more steady now.

"And ya won't have to. Not anymore." the Lorax agreed with a smile, watching the lanky boy rub his hand across his face again, his skinny arm turning slightly with the motion when something on the pale skin of his arm caught the Lorax's eye.

"Hey, Beanpole, what's this?" the Lorax frowned, grabbing a hold of his wrist to pull his arm back down to his level before curiously turning it over, revealing a deep, red slash mark gracing the Once-ler's wrist.

A pained looked crossed the Once-ler's face and he immediately looked away, making no attempt to stop him. The Lorax stared in stunned surprise, knowing exactly what this mark meant. He grabbed his other arm and quickly turned it over, revealing the same red cut. It was already healing and the danger had passed but the wounds looked too precise and too recent to be anything but intentional.

"Beanpole, why would ya do something like this?" the Lorax whispered, shocked.

The Once-ler couldn't bring himself to look at him, his gaze dropping down to stare at the covers, a faraway look in his eyes, "I…I don't know. I wasn't thinking. I felt so alone. All I kept thinking was that I was a failure. Everything that happened was my fault. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted the pain to end."

"Who caught you when ya did this?" the Lorax asked indicating the deep scars now permanently etched into his skin.

"Norma…my secretary. She walked in a few minutes after. Said she forgot something. I don't remember much. She bandaged my wrists immediately and then slapped me when I finally woke up. I had a pretty nasty bruise on my cheek for a week." the Once-ler explained dully, his joke falling flat, his eyes bright with tears again.

"This happened recently, didn't it?" the Lorax stated, knowing he was right, the wounds were still red, the skin around them a light pink as the scarring slowly set in.

Beanpole nodded silently, still unable to look him in the eye.

"_How_ recent?" the Lorax pressed, feeling that it was important he know the details.

The thought that Beanpole would crack like that had never even crossed the guardian's mind. He was honestly shocked his young friend would even consider it. He forgot sometimes, how fragile humans could be.

The Once-ler swallowed hard, the memory of that terrible day slowly coming back to him. It was all a blur really, he didn't remember much but he did recall sitting at his desk, still dressed in his green suit, head in his hands, hating himself for the millionth time that day. His office was in shambles, the expensive velvet curtains had been torn down, his model of Thneedville, that had taken weeks to build and that he had been so proud of, lay scattered on the floor in pieces, his top hat lying beside it.

He remembered mumbling words of self-loathing and resentment for hours that day, slowly convincing himself he was no better than his awful, uncaring family who had all too willingly abandoned him when things had gone south. He remembered looking up, rubbing his gloved hands over his tired face, wondering what he should do.

He had spotted the letter opener lying in its box on his desk, the sharp edge gleaming in the dim light. He stared, transfixed by it, a strange feeling overcoming him. He didn't remember picking it up, his green gloves now lying discarded on the desk. The next thing he knew, both wrists had been slashed, the knife clattering loudly to the floor, a numbing pain shooting through his arms as the blood quickly poured out of the deep wounds.

He vaguely remembered the sound of the large, heavy doors creaking open a few minutes later, echoing loudly through the huge room, a petite voice barely penetrating his hazy mind as he sat there, slumped in his chair, oblivious to the blood staining his sleeves and pants, his hands lying limp in his lap.

"_Sorry to bother you, Mr. Once-ler, but I forgot my cell ph-oh my god! SIR!"_

Everything had gone black then. The next thing he remembered was waking up in his bed, his wrists heavily bandaged, and his secretary, Norma, fussily tending to him. The moment he was awake, Norma had rushed to his side, overjoyed he had survived his near brush with death. He was told he had been unconscious for nearly three days. And then she had slapped him. He could still remember how his cheek stung after. He didn't blame her though. He knew he deserved it.

"Ummm…it was…a few weeks ago. Four, maybe five. I don't really remember." the Once-ler admitted, shaking his head a little to clear it of the horrible memory.

The Lorax sighed heavily, a disappointed look in his eyes as he looked back down at his wrists. The Lorax ran a furry finger gently over the tender wound, feeling how deep the blade had cut. The wounds had been very deep but he didn't sense any signs of infection and the swelling was already gone. The nerves in both his wrists had remained untouched and he still had full use of both hands. No permanent damage had been done. Beanpole didn't know how lucky he had been.

"You owe that girl your life, Beanpole! I'm surprised at you! Doing a cowardly thing like that!" the furry guardian reprimanded giving him a hard glare but his anger quickly faded when he saw him cringe, a hurt, defeated look in his eyes.

He sighed heavily, immediately regretting his harsh words. It wasn't an uncommon response for humans when something as drastic as destroying an entire ecosystem happened, especially when that person was the direct cause of it. The Once-ler had been a naïve businessman, too inexperienced and eager to realize the consequences of his actions. It had been so easy for all that fame and attention to go to his head. He couldn't see what was right in front of him until it was too late.

The Lorax realized that by leaving, he had only rubbed more salt into the wound. It had been the wrong thing to do.

"You're right. I was stupid. I didn't want to take responsibility for my actions. I wanted the easy way out." the Once-ler said bitterly as he stared guiltily down at his wrists, knowing he would bear these scars for the rest of his life.

The Lorax placed a hand on his arm again, prompting the Once-ler to hesitantly look back at him.

"It _was_ stupid. You're lucky to be alive, Beanpole! But I gotta admit, I think that was partly my fault. I shouldn't have left ya there all by yourself. Not after the Barbaloots and the others left. I could tell you were hurt and I still left. I'm sorry I did that now." the Lorax said, causing the Once-ler to look up at him in surprise.

"I'm gonna make you a promise, kid. I'm not leaving until we've fixed what you did. There are other guardians who can care for the other forests of the world while I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you alone again." the Lorax stated with determination, resting his hands over the ugly scars, looking him straight in the eye as he spoke.

A tear slipped down the Once-ler's cheek as he stared down at him too stunned to say anything for a moment, the first real smile in weeks slowly spreading across his face as he pulled the exasperated guardian into another hug.

"Thank you." the Once-ler whispered too overcome with emotion to speak. The Lorax felt him pull back after a few seconds, sniffing again while rubbing a hand across his face to compose himself.

"I said I came here to check up on you and now I'm glad I did. When was the last time ya ate anything, kid?" the Lorax asked a little sternly but the worry and concern was still there.

The Once-ler sighed, looking more tired than he had ever seen him look before, his shoulders sagging as he placed a hand against his forehead, rubbing his fingers through his unruly hair, trying to collect his thoughts.

"I'm…not really sure. I guess maybe, two days ago." the Once-ler replied, sounding ashamed at the fact even though he still didn't feel very hungry at all.

The Lorax hummed, not particularly pleased with the answer but he didn't scold him for it. Instead, he tapped a furry finger against his chin, silent for a moment and came to a decision.

"That's what I thought. Okay, it's settled. I'm gonna cook ya something! Something ridiculously delicious! And you're gonna eat every single bit of it!" the Lorax declared, trying to lighten the mood a little. He hated seeing the usually cheerful, energetic kid so depressed.

The Once-ler chuckled half-heartedly, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The Lorax was pleased to find he had finally managed to get him to stop crying.

"I didn't know you knew how to cook." the Once-ler replied, making a lame attempt at a joke.

"Well, I learned how to make those pancake thingies of yours, remember? But I think you're gonna need something a little more substantial. How does soup sound to you?" the Lorax suggested, smiling broadly at the lanky human.

"Uh…sure." the Once-ler said but he didn't sound very enthusiastic about it.

The Lorax ignored it. He knew he wouldn't feel like eating anything but his appearance suggested otherwise. He needed to eat.

"Alright, I'll be in the kitchen. Don't worry about telling me where everything is, I can manage just fine. And I think maybe it'd be a good idea if ya put some clothes on before ya come down." the Lorax suggested as he hopped off the bed, a teasing smile on his mustached face.

The Once-ler blinked before suddenly realizing he was still completely naked, the thin bed sheet the only thing covering him from the waist down. He felt a blush heat up his face. He self-consciously pulled the sheets tighter around him, too embarrassed to move from his spot on the bed.

"R-right. I-I'll just get changed then." he stuttered sheepishly, watching the Lorax chuckle lightly as he turned to leave, pausing for a second at the door.

"Oh and one more thing. I was, eh, just wondering…that lady that was just here. Was she a…" the Lorax trailed off, unintentionally causing the blush on the Once-ler's cheeks to deepen.

He nodded, embarrassed. The Lorax gave him a curious look.

"Oh, well, uh…if ya don't mind my asking, why was she here?" the Lorax continued a little awkwardly, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"A friend of mine thought I needed cheering up." he answered, shaking his head at the stupid idea he had agreed to that had only ended up with him now being two hundred dollars poorer.

"Oh, well, she wasn't your type, Beanpole." the Lorax answered, completely serious.

The Once-ler rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled, "No, she wasn't."

The Lorax nodded satisfied and closed the door behind him, finally giving his friend some much needed privacy.

_Fin_

**A/N: Boy, this story kinda got away from me toward the end. I'm not really sure I like the ending too much but I'm too lazy to change it now. LOL I don't even know if this is done. The ending just feels kind of abrupt to me. I might add an epilogue, if enough people want me to. So yeah, if ya wanna read more Once-ler fics, leave me a review! ;)**


End file.
